WASHINGTON • For some 25 years, American players have been carving out a modest presence overseas.
Many have been goalkeepers and defensive types. Some have arrived with scoring portfolios forged in Major League Soccer. Several were dual nationals, born and trained abroad.
Intra-European transfers involving king's ransoms and glamorous suitors were reserved for the likes of David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar; for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona; for Brazilians, Argentinians and Spaniards.
Certainly not for Americans.
Christian Pulisic, 20, busted that mould on Wednesday when English Premier League titans Chelsea signed him from Borussia Dortmund for £58 million (S$99.7 million).
The fee was more than three times the previous record for a US player - in May 2017, defender John Brooks left German club Hertha Berlin to sign for Wolfsburg for €20 million (S$31 million) - and around the 25th largest in the sport's history.
Pulisic will remain with Dortmund this season, then in August become the first high-profile American, not including goalkeepers, to suit up for an English heavyweight.
Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey did score goals for Fulham, but the Cottagers operate in the shadows of London brethren. Claudio Reyna and DaMarcus Beasley liked the ball at their feet. John Harkes played for trophies at Wembley. Tim Howard, Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel were world-class goalkeepers.
Pulisic has always been different. His electric skill set - initiated in Hershey, Pennsylvania, by parents who played at George Mason University and took him abroad in early 2015 - belies the reputation of Americans being hard workers, supporting actors and little else.
Amid gains in the sport since the late 1980s, the US has developed few creative male prospects suited for the world's brightest stages.
Where has Freddy Adu gone?
In terms of dynamic attackers, the closest comparison to Pulisic was Landon Donovan. Their acceleration and confidence with the ball are eerily similar.
Donovan, however, spent the bulk of his decorated career in San Jose and Los Angeles before retiring last year, never making a European breakthrough despite opportunities in Germany and England.
As a teenager, Pulisic was starting regularly in the Bundesliga, which sits in the top tier of European circuits with the Premier League, Spain's LaLiga, Italy's Serie A and France's Ligue 1. Dortmund also typically qualify for the Champions League, the continent's elite club competition.
Given his high-level experience at such a young age, he was one of the top five transfer targets this winter despite his lessening role at Dortmund. Bumped from the line-up by English teenager Jadon Sancho, he has appeared in 11 of 17 league matches, starting five and scoring once. He has continued to start in the Champions League.
Given his profile and cost, the Blues, whose last of six English titles came in 2017, are almost sure of thrusting him into the line-up next summer. Beyond his contributions on the field, Chelsea are, no doubt, counting on a marketing bump. Through pre-season tours and TV exposure, European clubs have made great strides in recent years appealing to US audiences.
Given the historical England-US ties, and that NBC Sports' presentation of the EPL is akin to the National Football League which is still the most-watched sport, Chelsea are eyeing an uptick in exposure and jersey sales.
NBC is certainly thrilled about building coverage around an exciting US player. Two defenders and a defensive midfielder comprise the current US contingent in the EPL.
Pulisic's move is also seen as a victory for US men's football which, in the wake of the World Cup qualifying fiasco, has fallen off the radar and begun major renovations.
Before his transfer, Pulisic was already the centrepiece of the programme. Wearing Chelsea colours and competing in the sport's most popular league, he will soon inherit a role no American has ever taken.
WASHINGTON POST
Tottenham striker Harry Kane will be sidelined until March after suffering ankle ligament damage in Sunday's defeat against Manchester United. Kane sustained the injury to his left ankle in the closing moments of the 1-0 loss at Wembley and scans have now confirmed the extent of the problem.
Tottenham Hotspur Star Harry Kane Out Until March With Ankle
The Reds trail 3-0 following the first leg of their Champions League semi-final and, although Klopp's previous bid to overturn that deficit ended in disappointment, he is not deterred from hoping
Jordan: We have confidence and belief - Liverpool FC
The Housing Act 1919 resulted in mass council housing being built across Liverpool during the 1920s and 1930s. Thousands of families were relocated from the inner-city to new suburban housing estates, based on the belief that this would improve their standard of living, though this is largely subjective.
Man Utd and Liverpool look to sign £70m Lille winger Pep but
Man Utd latest financial results: 6 things you might have missed as Ed Woodward faced investors. The share price is rising, the App remains No.1 and "entertainment centres" in China are very much
Mourinho´s huge pay-off fails to dent Manchester | Daily
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR News - Find latest News & top stories about TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR. Get more information about TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR at straitstimes.com. 'Fuming' Spurs must not dwell on Wolves loss
Arsenal vs Rennes: Unai Emery's Gunners have a system, a plan
sportslifetale.com/soccer/arsenal-vs-rennes-unai-emerys-gunners-have-a-system-a-plan-and-a-new-identity-are-they-finally-back/
Have Arsenal finally clicked? Have they turned into a team? Are they - for the first time in years - moving forwards again? We have been here far too many times already this season: the 11-game winning streak, the victories over Tottenham or Chelsea, the 'we've got our Arsenal back' at Craven Cottage back in […]
'Everyone is fuming' Harry Winks reveals how Tottenham
WEST HAM UNITED 3 SOUTHAMPTON 0. Arnautovic ends drought as West Ham sink Southampton. 3 Min Read. Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Southampton - London Stadium, London
Arnautovic ends drought as West Ham sink Southampton
Step Up or Ship Out. Adam and Danielle struggle to keep up with the demands of the quintuplets while also making time for 4-year-old daughter, Blayke. Later, a
Solskjaer names the Man United duo who must 'step up' - Old
oldtraffordfaithful.com/solskjaer-names-the-man-united-duo-who-must-step-up/
The attacking area has been absolutely decimated with problems, although there are still two senior figures left standing. Solskjaer has now called upon these guys to 'step up' and prove that they deserve to wear the Red jersey. "The two of them are good mates and they link up well together." Solskjaer is quoted as saying by ManUtd.com.
Shape up or ship out - Idioms by The Free Dictionary
37 Inspiring Quotes About Working Hard and Achieving Big Things In honor of hard workers everywhere, here are some of the most inspiring quotes about working hard and watching it pay off. By Bill
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City must beat Liverpool on Thursday in order to maintain their Premier League title bid. City shook off consecutive defeats to coast past Southampton 3-1 at St
Man City bounces back but Guardiola says it must beat
Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over bottom side Huddersfield Town on Saturday, but remain the only side without an away clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
Iwobi, Lacazette lead Arsenal to win at Huddersfield
For Albirex Niigata S and Shuhei Hoshino, the magical number this week is 15. Find out who made FOX Sports Asia's Singapore Premier League (SPL) Team of the Week 14.
0 comments:
Post a Comment